PBN: The state’s utility commission has approved Hawaiian Electric Cos.’ latest power-supply improvement plan, which forecasts rate increases of more than 44 percent over the next nine years….

According to the approved PSIP, customers could face average rate increases of between 18 and 25 percent over the next four years across the utility’s service territories, which include Hawaiian Electric Co. on Oahu; Maui Electric Co. on Maui, Molokai and Lanai; and Hawaiian Electric Light Co. on the Big Island.

“Given the substantial increase in rates forecasted in the report, the commission is concerned that the companies have not fully considered the affordability of their plans,” the commission said in its decision…..

“We share our customers’ concern with prices, and we don’t believe in renewables at any cost,” Peter Rosegg, senior spokesman at Hawaiian Electric Company, told PBN in an email. “We will evaluate every future project, which must be approved by the Public Utilities Commission with input from the Consumer Advocate, to achieve a balance between progress on our ambitious renewable energy goals and minimizing costs to customers.” (IQ Test: Did you believe any of that?)

Hawaiian Electric said in the PSIP that it plans to procure almost 400 megawatts of new renewable resources across its service territories by 2021, which collectively represents the largest new generation procurement ever undertaken in the state….

Mina Morita pointed to liquefied natural gas as a potential solution to help mitigate the cost impact.

“This is a where I have a real problem with Gov. David Ige's administration, and the reluctance to have LNG,” she said. “To think that we are going to get off fossil fuel in the near term is crazy.”….

SA: …To help the utilities get to the 100 percent level, they are going to need to add utility-scale solar, customer-­sited batteries, rooftop solar, wind and biofuels. HECO expects private solar systems to more than double by 2030 to 165,000 from the 79,000 now in use across HECO’s territories.

“After 2022, coal won’t be burned to generate electricity on Oahu anymore,” Hawaiian Electric spokes­­woman Shannon Tangonan said. “It’s the cheapest power source by a significant margin, and it’s the largest generator of firm, 24/7 power on the island….

Hawaii County to Form Secret Organization to Find Ways to Hike Your Taxes

HTH: …Fresh from raising taxes on most property types, county officials say they are convening an internal working group to recommend changes to the tax code….

According to Tomei, the group will mostly be internal and made up of county Finance staff with input also coming from the real estate sector or other organizations. For agriculture land issues, Kamehameha Schools or Parker Ranch might be invited to participate, he said.

While issues are likely to be wide-ranging, Tomei said one area that will be looked at is short-term vacation rentals, which currently don’t have their own tax classification.

Tomei said the goals, as set out by Mayor Harry Kim, are to make the tax code “efficient and fair.”

It’s not clear how long the process might take. Tomei said the idea of having it staff-led is that it can be a continuous process that won’t be limited by council terms.

The meetings won’t be required to be public, except for reports to the council.

This isn’t the first time in recent years that the county has taken a look at the issue.

The previous council formed a Real Property Tax Stakeholders Task Force that recommended five bills to reduce loopholes to make collections more fair in 2014. That task force’s role was to find ways to implement 40 recommendations included in a 99-page property tax report from 2012….

ILind: …It wasn’t too long ago that critics of the proposed takeover of Hawaii Electric by Florida-based NextEra went on at length about the bad things that might result from its takeover by a much larger mainland corporation.

There was lots of talk about those Florida people not understanding our special culture, society, etc….

But between the former Oceanic (now owned by Charter and rebranded as Spectrum), and Hawaiian Telcom (now to be part of Cincinnati Bell), these regulated companies control a broad swatch of local broadband, cable, and related services.

No concerns, though, by opponents of out-of-state ownership? Interesting.

Why did you choose to begin Food Evolution with the example of the Hawaiianpapaya?

R: … I have to give props to another wonderful science writer, Amy Harmon, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning writer for the New York Times, who introduced me to the papaya story. I didn't know it even existed. And it was the irony of the fact that GMO technology which most people—sadly a large percentage of the population see as being dangerous—saved the papaya industry in Hawaii. And furthering that irony was that some politicians in Hawaii were trying to be the first state to ban the cultivation of all GMOs, but then they grandfathered in that same papaya. And, as Amy Harmon pointed out—and made my eyebrows go up—what are they actually trying to say? If they're saying they want to ban all GMOs, but this one's [papayas] okay, you're not really saying anything. So I wanted to look further into that ….

CPS had been in contact with Hawaii girl starved to death since she was a toddler

HNN: …The girl's parents and her grandmother were arrested last week for allegedly starving the 9-year-old to death.

Sources say the girl was not able to leave the family's Hilo home.

She was found unconscious and emaciated at their apartment in Hilo. She died a few hours later at the hospital.

In court Monday, the child's parents said little. A judge upheld their $100,000 bail.

Hawaii News Now has learned that the girl's grandmother had custody of her, but that the girl's parents lived in the apartment complex too.

According to an indictment, the three are accused of denying the girl food, water and medical treatment for about a year before her death.

Family members say they last saw the child alive on Thanksgiving 2015.

That same month, the girl was pulled out of Hilo Union Elementary to attend home school, even though her parents have no background in the field of education, and sources say, no ability to provide that. The DOE sent a statement to Hawaii News Now saying once the child is approved to be homeschooled, "The DOE has no authority to conduct home visits to oversee how the child is being educated."….

HNN: …"It's absolutely not a homeless issue. Yes, some of the guys are homeless. What it is is a drug enforcement issue. It's an accountability issue. There's no accountability for these people and they know that," said Dymond.

On Thursday, a man who appeared intoxicated set off an aerial firework at Kalapawai Cafe. The explosion happened just a few yards from where a family with an infant was eating. Dymond said initially police were reluctant to even make a report.

And a week ago Sunday, a busser was attacked when he asked a man cursing at diners to quiet down.

"He actually came into the restaurant and threw a punch at me," said Kai Kirkpatrick.

Kirkpatrick said after multiple calls to police it took 30 minutes for officers to arrive. The suspect wasn't arrested until much later that night when he showed up again looking for another fight.

"He came in and actually tried to hit the owner of the restaurant with a vodka bottle and kicked one of them employees. That's when police finally took it seriously and had me come down here and identify him," said Kirkpatrick….